As you walk to class in the morning and hear cars driving by blaring music, chances are it is “Late Registration,” the new album from hip-hop’s golden boy, Kanye West.
The album, released Aug. 30 on Roc-a-Fella Records, has sold 860,000 copies in just over a week.
West debuted at No.1 on the Billboard charts, and nearly doubled the sales of his debut, “College Dropout.”
At Tower Records, the new album has inspired listeners to nod their heads and open their wallets.
Tower sold 120 copies in just over a week, according to manager Kevin Cody, who is also a senior communication major at The University of Memphis.
Both of West’s album covers feature a teddy bear on the cover, resembling a college mascot.
“We’ve sold so many, I’m sick of seeing that teddy bear,” said Michael Bradley, a fan and employee at Tower.
Customers were so eager to hear West’s new album that they were even asking if they would be able to pre-order the album to be guaranteed a copy.
Pre-orders are rare at Tower, and the buzz behind the album proved that West has become a force to be reckoned with in music.
Music critic after music critic hails West as a genius and visionary in hip-hop. His fans could not agree more.
“His production and arrangement style puts him in a class all of his own,” Cody said.
West has produced for other rap artists such as Common, whose album “Be” was recently released to both critical and commercial praise.
West’s personal touch includes influences from all types of music.
“The only reason he can be classified as hip-hop is because he raps,” Bradley said. “Otherwise, he has every kind of music mixed in.”
West’s classmates on “Late Registration” include Jay-Z, Common, Jamie Foxx and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.
The single “Gold Digger” has made an unprecedented jump on the Billboard charts. Thanks to a sample of a Ray Charles classic mixed with backup vocals from Foxx, the single has jumped from number 94 to 2 on the Billboard single charts.
After critical praise, commercial fame and multiple awards, West has started to use his voice for more than music.
During “A Concert for Hurricane Relief” on NBC Sept. 2, West deviated from the teleprompter, speaking out against President George W. Bush.
“George Bush does not care about black people,” West said.
After that statement, listeners’ ears perked up. They began to wonder if West was using his fame as a platform for his own beliefs.
“I definitely feel like he has every right to speak out,” Cody said. “But the forum he chose might not have been the best one.”
Regardless of West’s political views, his music still makes millions of fans nod their heads.
